Glow tube apparatus



- Aug. 8, 1933. c. J. KAYKo GLOW TUBE APPARATUS Fild June 4, 1928 l VIS/VTM QJ gym/5,6

Patented 4Aug. 19.33

' l I 1,921,620 l GLOW TUBE APrArm'rUs-4 l charles; Kayko, Jackson, Mich., -assignmto) The SparkseWithington Company, Jackson, Mich., a Corporationof Ohio Application June 4,1928. serial No. 262,686 7 claims. (Cl. 176-122) 'Ihis invention relates to certain new and use- 'y ful improvements in glow tube devices, for example, glow tubes such as are .used in advertising signs and signaling devices.

The device of this invention is suitablefor use in a much wider eld than former devices of this nature in that a discharge oi' high light intensity may be produced by a substantially lower voltage.

'I'he present invention comprises various structural features of novelty which cooperate to increase .the range-and capacity of a device oi this type. For example, in accordance with this invention the glow is confined in a glass tube so shaped that its coniiguration at the dome vof the enclosing envelope or bulb forms an intense button or spot of light when a disf hargeis caused to pass. between the electrodes.

The construction of the device is such that the line or path of the intense discharge is confined to the space enclosed by the formed glass tube,

which tube in turn is enclosed by the outer envelope or bulb. l

Other objects and advantages relate to the details of the structure and the form and relation of the parts thereof, all as will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 'is a view partially in section of a glow tube of this invention.

`Figure 2 is a 'section on line 2--2, Figure l.

The device as here illustrated comprises an enclosing bulb -1- having a stem -2-- sealed therein. These parts are preferably formedof glass and the lead-in wires or conductors 3 and -4-- are sealed through the stern --2` and preferably the stem is formed with spaced projections 5 and -6- which surround and enclose the lead-in wires to points above the lower ends of the glow tube -I.

The electrodes 8- and -9 are enclosed in the opposed legs ofthe glow tube and are spaced a suilicient distance above the lower open ends of the legs of the tube so that the distance through the closed upper end of the .tube -'lbetween the electrodes is shorter than the distance between the electrodes on a path leading through the lower open ends of the legs of the tube so that the discharge between the electrodes will always take place through the closed end of the tube. The closed end -10- of the glow tube is formed in a-coil so that when the discharge takes place between the electrodes throughA the closed end of the tube there will be\produced a button or spot lof intense light.

The tube -7 may be--supported inv desired position in any suitable. manner, as by clips or surrounding bands 11- and 12- supported on arms -13- and 14- preferably of a somewhat resilient nature, the arms in turn being supported in any suitable manner as by a band I' -15- surrounding the stem of the device.

The bulb -1- is evacuated and is then filled with a rare gas or atmosphere, such as neon, the

lnature of the gas being, however, subject to the color of the glow desired, and it will be apparent that the pressure of the gas within the formed tube "7- is always the same as the pressure of the gas within the bulb 1- which surrounds the tube 7-. v

As stated, the shortest-path of ionization between the two electrodes -8- and -9 should be through the closed end l0- of the tube -7- so that the discharge takes place through the coiled end l`0.

Altho I have shownand describeda specic `form and construction of device as constituting an embodiment of the invention, I, do not desire to restrict myself to the details of form, construction or arrangement, as various changesv v30 and modifications may be made Within the scope of the appended claims.

` I claim: 1.1A glow tube comprising an enclosing bulb,

a-pair of spaced electrodes within the bulb, a

tube having its opposed le'gs enclosing the electrodes and opening into the bulb and having its intermediate portion formed in a coil through vwhich the low voltage vdischarge between the electrodes takes place, conductors sealed through the bulb and connected to the electrodes, and insulation surrounding the conductors to a point above the lower open ends of the legs of the tube.

2. A formed tube enclosed by an envelope, a conducting gas within said envelope, said tube having a short central twisted portion and two substantially straight portions, the ends of which open into said'envelope, an electrode in each of said straight portions adjacentl said twisted portion, connections throughvsaid envelope extending through said opentube ends to said elec; trodes and insulation surrounding said connections to a point above the lower ends of said tube.

3. A formed 'tube enclosed by an envelope, a 105 conducting gas within said envelope, said tube having a short central twisted portion and two substantially straight portionathe ends of which open into said envelope, an electrode in each Y of said straight portions adjacent said twisted portion, connections through said envelope exthrough the straight portions of the tube.

4. A gas-filled glow lamp comprising an enclosing bulb having a stem, a pair of electrodes within the bulb, a formed tube having two sub.

stantially straight parallel portions enclosing said electrodes, and an intermediate portion connecting said parallel portions through which the low voltage discharge between electrodes takes place, a band about said stem having a plurality of supporting arms, and a supporting band about each parallel tube portion fastened to said supporting arms. n

5. A gas-filled glow lamp comprising an enclosing bulb having a stem, a pair of lead-in wires fused in said stem, a pair of electrodes supported by said lead-in wires, glass projections extending from said stemrand surrounding said lead-inrwires, a formed tube having two substantially straight parallel portions enclosing said electrodes and in part enclosing said glass projections and an intermediate portion through which the low Voltage discharge betweenelectrodes takes place, a band encircling said stem having a' plurality of Asupporting arms, -and a band about each straight parallel tube portion fastened to said supporting arms for supporting the formed tube.

lsaid stem.

6. A gas-nlld glow lamp'comprising an enclosing bulb .having a stem, a pair of lead-in wires fused in said stem, la pair of electrodes supported by said lead-in'wires, Aglass projections extending from Asaid stem and surrounding said lead-in wires, a formed tubehaving two substantially straight parallel portions enclosing said electrodes and in part enclosing said glass projections and anintermediate portion through which the low voltage discharge between electrodes takes place, the path between electrodes 'through said intermediate portion'being shorter than the path between electrodes through said straight parallel portions, and means for supporting said formed tube from said stem.

7. A gas-tilled glow lar'np comprising an en closing bulbhaving a stem, a pair offlead-in wires sealed in said stem, ajpair of electrodes supported by said lead-in wires, insulating projections extending from said stem and surrounding said lead-in wires, a formed tube having two substantially straight parallel portions encircling said electrodes and in part enclosing said insulating projections, and an intermediate portion through which the low voltage discharge between electrodes takes place, the path between electrodes throughsaid intermediate portion being shorter than the path between electrodes through said straight parallel portions, and means for supporting said formed tube from CHAS. J. KAYKO, 

